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How do you get started?

Just show up at any of the scheduled "B" or summer solstice events , mention to the registrar you are new and would like some help. Someone will be happy to show you the basic skills and how to complete an orienteering course. Visit the "What is Orienteering" page for a sample orienteering course.

When you finish!

One never finishes the orienteering experience because every event is unique. New locations, different terrain, longer/shorter courses, easier/harder navigational challenges, etc. are an integral part of the sport. Getting involved with the club and organizing your own events are also part of the fun.

Be sure to report to the finish after each event - we are very safety conscious. As our meet directors like to get home for Sunday dinner, all Sunday courses will be closed at 2 PM and flags will be picked up at that time. Be sure to report back by 2pm.

Orienteering is a lifetime sport for many of us. We have a strong junior program and a very active adult group of all ages.

Is an orienteering map different from other maps?

Maps used for orienteering are, indeed, quite different from your road map or your topo map. North points to magnetic north so no worries about declanation. The scale is usually 1:10,000 meaning 1 cm. on the map represents only 100 meters on the ground. This allows the mapper space to include many details, cliffs, boulders, pits, distinct vegetation changes, to name a few. Then a course gets drawn on the map, a course specific to the skill level of the target group of participants. The two links below show courses used recently in Stoney Swamp, one of intermediate level and one of advanced level. As you can see, it is quite a jump from the intermediate to the advanced. The participants must navigate much further into the woods and look for smaller features. Have a look: Intermediate map and advance. The control descriptions for intermediate and advanced are quite explicit but are written as international symbols defined here